Tips To Improve Your Bike Skill

[offingapp]

 

How do I clear large obstacles on steep uphills?

Is there any way to clear large rocks and roots on steep uphills when I'm toasted and have virtually no speed? 

For me, it's less about specific movements and more about just keeping the bike going. I put it in a lower gear, get out of the saddle a little bit, pull up on the front to do a little wheelie and just keep spinning the pedals. It's almost like keeping really light in the center of your bike and letting the front wheel do its thing while you drive it forward. Don't fight the bike. Go with the flow if it picks a line you didn't want to follow. It's about good rhythm for me. Try this, without thinking about techniques, and see what happens.

How do I jump on my bike when it's moving?

I've tried jumping on my bike while it's rolling like you cyclocross dogs with varying degrees of success. How can I avoid squishing my sensitive stuff when I jump on?

It took me a long time to get the hang of it. I finally started watching tapes of the '96 and '97 'cross Worlds and paid close attention to how the best riders did it. What I noticed and started doing was landing on the inside right thigh, rather than putting my crotch directly on the seat. That makes the move flow more: It looks like you're stepping onto the bike, instead of hopping.

6 Rules for a Flying Mount

1. Don't lean forward: "While running with your bike, your upper body should be upright and balanced."
2. Lower your seat slightly: "It shouldn't be a hop to get on your saddle. You should be able to stand next to the bike and swing a leg over, and you shouldn't feel like you're coming down in the seat. It should feel like you're sliding on from the side."
3. Hands near the hoods: "This gives you immediate control your fingers are close to the brakes."
4. Don't stutter-step: "Some people prolong their mount by making small steps before committing to throw a leg over. The fastest, most efficient way is to throw that leg over within one to two big steps after clearing a barrier or obstacle."
5. Right pedal forward: "You shouldn't have to search around for the pedal when your leg comes around. With the right pedal at the three o'clock position, the move is also more like a big step forward than a hop."
6. Land on the inside of your right thigh: "Don't aim to plant your butt directly on the saddle. Hit the inside right thigh and then slide down. This offsets the pressure and keeps your private parts safe."

    

Why do I keep losing my balance?

I'm just lose my balance for no reason. How can I stop?

Stop thinking about being coordinated. Think about relaxing. Like that old .38 Special song says, hold on loosely. Everything comes from your hands. My guess is that you're white-knuckling the bar, making even the slightest bumps jarring. You're tense, so all that shock is transmitted into your body, which means you have a hard time making the bike do what you want. To keep your hands loose, drum your fingers or rearrange your grip every time the terrain changes.

Check out the rest of your body as well. If your shoulders are hunched or your jaw is clenched, the rest of your body (including your elbows and knees, which are your most important shock absorbers) is probably tense. To save yourself when you lose your balance, put a foot out for stability.

Guide to relaxation
Favorite way to relax is to kick back with his wife, Olympic-bronze-medal mountain biker Susan DeMattei, and their son, Cooper. But five days a week, he actively relaxes with this 30-45 minute routine that gives him strength and flexibility to stay loose on the bike. "When you get tired, you get tense," he says. 

 

How do I ride wet wood?

What's the best way to ride wet wood? A bridge on my favorite trail gets dewy every morning.

Wooden bridges pose a significant challenge even to pros. A few years ago, pro mountain biker Juli Furtado was riding in the Houffalize, Belgium, World Cup race and it was raining. She came to a bridge right after a turn, and when she tried to straighten out on that wet wood, she fell. The only rule I follow: Don't turn as you come onto the wood. Keep a straight line, keep your weight centered over the bike and relax.

How do I handle technical climbs?

What technical skills do I need to keep up with my friend, who cleans steep, rough hills?

A lot of the advice on climbing is about the position of your body getting back on the seat to get better traction, getting closer to the handlebar. But I think the key element you should work on is keeping a nice, round pedal stroke no matter what. If you can maintain a good rhythm and deliver power smoothly and constantly, your bike won't hesitate when it encounters obstacles. You still won't get over some things but you'll roll right over a lot of small stuff that might be stopping you now (or at least robbing energy as you put out extra surges to get over).

A choppy pedal stroke disrupts your rhythm, so keep it as round as possible; it's the old "perfect circles" idea. There are some pretty complicated theories for developing a round pedal stroke, but I like to boil it all down to one good piece of advice: Keep your foot as flat as possible-don't point your toes. If your toes point down at the bottom of your stroke, your foot isn't pulling back on the pedal, which means you have a dead spot there. If your toes point at the top, you aren't putting maximum power into pushing the pedal across to the downstroke.

How do I keep my bike straight in the air?

My bike always kicks sideways when I bunny-hop and makes me land funny. How can I prevent it?

If you getting sideways in the air, you?re lifting too hard on one side of the bike. You need to lift equally on each side. Because one foot is in front of the other, you?re more likely to pull up with different force on each foot. One trick is to put your stronger foot forward. If you?re right-handed, a lot of times, your right leg will be stronger. That give it less chance to yank it sideways.

My BMX riding taught me to roll my wrists forward to lift the bike up against my feet. This makes your bike and body move together so you can control how your bike moves through the air.

How do I handle mud?

How can I keep going when the going gets muddy? 

At the '97 'cross nationals in Golden, Colorado, I was the muddiest I'd ever been. It was about 25 degrees and the sun was out, melting the surface mud enough for it to fly up and stick. The mud would stick and freeze, then another layer would stick and freeze. After 30 minutes of racing, my jersey was pulling away from my body with 10 pounds of frozen mud. Every square millimeter of my body was caked.

I got through it with momentum and more momentum. When trying to get through mud, use a small gear and spin fast so you don't get bogged down. The best thing you can do is pedal your ass off. You can't pick your way through mud, because you'll lose momentum.

How do I keep traction on downhill turns?

Other riders nail downhill corners really fast, but when I try to keep my speed, my tires start to skid. How can I keep traction?

For downhill or flat corners, you need to keep your body weight on top of the front tire so that your weight is pushing it down into the ground. Think about drawing a straight line that connects your body and the bottom bracket. You lean as the bike leans. That's how you get your bite. 

You can lean as much as 45 degrees on short, fast, tight turns. But the greater the lean, the less weight on the wheels and the more likely they'll skip. On a big bermed turn, like on a BMX track, you can lean as much as 90 degrees (relative to the track) because you have the speed, and the turn is so banked that you can still keep a straight line through your body and the BB. If it's a longer, shallower corner, you don?t have to lean that much maybe 10 degrees would be enough. 

A good way to practice: Find a dirt oval with a slick surface and ride through the turns again and again, testing your limits of traction.

 

 

    
How do I hop railroad tracks?

What's the best way to hop over railroad tracks that aren't flush with the ground?

It's tough. The tracks are spaced so that as soon as your front wheel hits the second rail, your back tire needs to come up over the first rail. The only way I can explain it: At the instant you become wedged between the tracks, combine a rocking motion with a pedal jam to power you over both rails. My best advice: When you're practicing this and fall on the ties, be sure to clean up good after the ride. Those ties are soaked with nasty chemicals.

 

What's the best speed for steep descents?

I get down steep slopes, but I'm way out of control more speed than technique. My friends go slower and the descent looks easy. What gives?

Some descents require your method of letting go of the brakes rolling through a tough section and then getting back under control. But you sound like an accident waiting to happen. Your "slower" buddies have more control and technical skill. Eventually you'll run into a descent that's too long and technical to just let 'er go.

You should learn how to ride slowly down steep terrain. As you apply the front brake firmly but steadily, shift your weight rearward to counteract the bike's tendency (especially on a descent) to pitch you forward.

Don't apply so much force that the wheel stops rolling it's much more stable when it's moving. If it locks up or you begin a front-wheel skid, lessen your braking pressure up front and apply a little more in back. It's a balancing act. There aren't any easy rules I can give you, so you have to practice. A great place is on a grassy hill or terrace, like in parks or around schools. Try to find a place that has variations in grade and camber.

As you gain control over your front-wheel braking, practice letting it go and applying it on different parts of the descents. Look for flatter places along the descent to apply the front brake. This lets you modulate your speed without constantly riding the brakes or never touching them like you do now.

How do I hop a curb at an angle?

How do I get over a curb when I'm approaching from an angle?

5 Steps to Angled Curb Hops

1. Stop pedaling and level the pedals.
2. Stand with your weight slightly forward of the saddle, knees and elbows slightly bent. 
3. Angle toward the curb and when you're less than a foot from it, pull the front wheel up just higher than the curb.
4. After the front wheel's over the curb but before it lands, pull the rear of the bike up by lifting with your feet. Use more force than you do when you're just hopping something straight on.
5. While your rear wheel's in the air, use your hips to lift the bike sideways onto the sidewalk.

[Mother Grabber]

those are some cheap, high quality tips.

[Fryfan]

On 4/25/2018 at 9:19 AM, offingapp said:

You should learn how to ride slowly down steep terrain. As you apply the front brake firmly but steadily, shift your weight rearward to counteract the bike's tendency (especially on a descent) to pitch you forward.

Seems like some decent tips from some experienced riders.  But this???

WTF - why is there a hot link to this offingapp marketing site and why would I want to learn about social media app developers and how they ride slowly don steep terrain.  I would like to learn how to ride far away from annoying social media app developers.

 

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

3 hours ago, offingapp said:

How do I ride wet wood?

[cookinwithgas]

This would have been helpful until when i was in second grade and figured out how to ride a bike on my own.

[motocross_cat]

I suggest seat time.

Nice post tho.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

8 hours ago, Fryfan said:

Seems like some decent tips from some experienced riders.  But this???

WTF - why is there a hot link to this offingapp marketing site and why would I want to learn about social media app developers and how they ride slowly don steep terrain.  I would like to learn how to ride far away from annoying social media app developers.

 

it's bot spam 

[frash.exe]

how are my skills coming along?

 

[Jangler]

On 4/25/2018 at 2:00 PM, cookinwithgas said:

This would have been helpful until when i was in second grade and figured out how to ride a bike on my own.

Dad always said "think Lava, and clean your ears."

 

[rayzor]

Cut out spam links.

Banned spammer.

Kept informative article. 

Win/win/win